Medina Federated Church celebrates 175th

Written by David Green.

During the first 50 years of the early Medina Federated Church—then known as the Baptist Church of Medina—20 different pastors served at the pulpit.

Now, as the congregation prepares to celebrate the church’s 175th anniversary, the situation has leveled off considerably. Three pastors have led the church for most of the past 50 years, including Darren Lemmon who has served the church since 1999.

Pastor Lemmon has worked with church members to make plans for a two-day celebration Aug. 25 and 26, and those plans include return visits from two pastors.

At 6 p.m. Aug. 25, the Celebration Trio from the Brooklyn area will perform southern gospel music, along with a skit. The singing will be followed by an ice cream social.

At 9:30 a.m. Aug. 26, David Leman (1985-93) and Howard Yatzek (1958-62, 1967-82) will look back on their history with the church. At 10:30 that morning, the Bright Occasions will perform. The group is made up of former and present members of the church.

The morning worship service is scheduled at 10:45 a.m., along with the dedication of the sanctuary expansion. The service will be followed by a barbecue fellowship luncheon.

History

The roots of Medina Federated Church lie a few miles up the road in Canandaigua.

In 1836, the Canandaigua Baptist Church was organized with 23 members. The church didn’t have a building of its own, so the decision a year later to move to Medina posed no physical problems. Once in Medina, there was a river nearby (Bean Creek) for baptisms.

A church building was constructed in 1846, followed by some renovation in 1875.

Medina experienced a decline in population during the Great Depression and the decision was made to merge the village’s two churches—the Baptist and the Methodist—and this led to the Medina Federated Church, unaffiliated with any denomination.

Considerable renovation took place over the years—a usable basement was finished, a kitchen was added and a fellowship hall was built. A new fellowship hall was added in 1988, along with six Sunday school classrooms, a Sunday school office and the pastor’s study.

In 2007, a metal building was donated to the church and was erected as a gymnasium. A sanctuary expansion project started in 2010 led to a delay of the 175th celebration.

As the church continues moving forward through its second century, Pastor Lemmon reminds his congregation of the charge given by Jesus, to “go into all the world and proclaim the gospel.”

The celebration events are open to the public. If Medina or Medina Federated Church were part of your life, Rev. Lemmon said, come in and enjoy the weekend celebration.

GAMES DAY—Finn Molitierno (right) celebrates a goal during a game of Nok Hockey with his sister, Kyla. The two tried out a variety of games Saturday at Stair District Library’s annual International Games Day event. One of the activities featured a sort of scavenger hunt in which participants had to locate facts presented in the Smithsonian Hometown Teams exhibit. The traveling show left Morenci’s library Tuesday, wrapping up a series of programs that began Oct. 2. Additional photos are on page 7.

STRANGE STUFF—Morenci Elementary School students learn that blue isn’t really blue when seen through the right color of lens. Volunteer April Pike presents the lesson to students at one of the many stations brought to the school by the COSI science center. The theme of this year’s visit was the solar system.

MAPLE leaves show their fall colors in a puddle at Morenci’s Riverside Natural Area. “This was a great year for colors,” said local weather watcher George Isobar. Chilly mornings will give way to seasonable fall temperatures for the next two weeks.

MORENCI Marching Band member Brittany Dennis keeps the beat Friday during the half-time show of the Morenci/Pittsford football game. Color guard member Jordan Cordts is at the left. The band performed this season under the direction of Doyle Rodenbeck who served as Morenci’s band director in the 1970s. He’s serving as a substitute during a family leave.

MOVING EAST—Utility workers continue their slow progress east along U.S. 20 south of Morenci. New electrical poles are put in place before wiring is moved into place.

A PERFORMER named Biligbaatar, a member of the AnDa Union troupe from Inner Mongolia, dances at Stair District Library last week during a visit to the Midwest. The nine-member group blends a variety of traditions from Inner and Outer Mongolia. The music is described as drawing from “all the Mongol tribes that Genghis Khan unified.” The group considers itself music gatherers whose goal is to preserve traditional sounds of Mongolia. Biligbaatar grew up among traditional herders who live in yurts. Additional photos are on the back page of this week’s Observer.

HOLDEN HUTCHISON gives a hug to a black bear cub—the product of a taxidermist’s skills—at the Michigan DNR’s Great Youth Jamboree. The event on Sunday marked the fourth year of the Jamboree. Additional photos are on page 12.